Are Marketplace Premiums Higher in Rural Than in Urban Areas?

Abstract

With support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the Urban Institute is undertaking a comprehensive monitoring and tracking project to examine the implementation and effects of health reform. We examine silver benchmark premiums for every rating region for 2016 and 2017, differentiating between predominantly urban and rural premium rating areas. We use 2016 and 2017 data because these are the most recent years preceding various federal policy changes.